It is only a matter time before cryptocurrency becomes mainstream and is recognized everywhere. As such, marketplaces where people can buy, sell, exchange and trade digital assets have become crucial places.
To address this market demand, cryptocurrency exchanges were created.
A cryptocurrency exchange, by definition, is an online platform where users can trade one type of digital asset for the other. These exchanges will be based on the market value of the given assets.
Banks are real financial institutions that can receive deposits, store and transfer money, and are licensed in the real world. The banks regulate money. They are the only legal place offering the right to exchange one fiat currency for another to its customers.
Meanwhile, a stock exchange is a facility where stock brokers trade company stocks and other securities. Only stocks that are listed on an exchange can be purchased or sold. Stock exchanges are marketplaces that stock sellers and buyers use to trade their stocks.
In the digital world, cryptocurrency exchanges provide similar services to banks and Stock exchanges.
Still, as with there are people who still treat cryptocurrencies with trepidations and agitations. For some people, cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency exchanges are treated as borderline illegal online marketplaces.
These people believe these places could facilitate the trading of unregistered securities. They believe that crypto exchanges can be places where suspicious people can launder money and have limited AML/KYC to evade the law.
Some of these claims may not be entirely true. As with all dealings with cryptocurrency, there are inherent risks to using cryptocurrency exchanges.
There is a chance that law enforcement will close down an exchange. These exchanges may not be able return your money if they are shut down by law enforcement because they operate in grey areas.
There is also the possibility of your funds getting locked in the exchange, leaving you with no way of withdrawing or even selling your cryptocurrency and other digital assets. This can happen especially when the cryptocurrency exchange you are using has been seized by law enforcement or is under investigation by the proper authorities.
There is also the possibility that you will lose your money by speculating in cryptocurrency, and then have the rug pulled under your feet by the founders of these exchanges. Especially when these founders are hustlers or scammers who are too good at what they are doing.
Remember, when working with cryptocurrency and anything related to them, everything is always a gamble. It is smart to always proceed with caution. Like with gambling, there are more chances of losing than winning. High-risk, high reward.
If you prefer to see the experience in a more visual way, Mark Farfan’s YouTube video review is for you. You can still check our article below for a complete overview of Binance. It also compares it with some other competitors.
Binance Exchange Binance Hong Kong
Binance Overview
Binance is the most popular cryptocurrency exchange in the entire world. It offers the largest number of trading pairs and has the highest trading volume among all crypto exchange services.
Binance was established in 2017 by Changpeng Zhao, a Chinese-Canadian entrepreneur. Initially, the company was based in China. However, due to growing crypto restrictions in China, the company moved to Japan and then to Malta.
Back then, the company had no place to call home.
The company is currently based in Malta. Binance is available in most countries, with the exception of the United States where Binance.US was created.
Binance’s popularity among its users is due to its low fees, large selection of cryptocurrencies available, and innovative products. Binance has many products that are based upon cryptocurrency.
These products/services offer the opportunity to earn, trade, stake, derive and NFTs. The service allows you to get loans, make payments and even apply for credit cards.
Cryptos Under Binance
Binance has its own tokens and cryptocurrency. There are actually two.
The first one is called BUSD. It is a stablecoin fiat-backed issued by Binance and Paxos. This stablecoin token is backed 1:1 by US dollars in reserve. The company created BUSD as a means to provide a more stable cryptocurrency alternative for traders and investors wanting to avoid the volatile nature of the digital asset market.
BNB is the second. It was previously known as Binance Coin. The initial coin offering (ICO), launched it in 2017. This was to provide an asset for users back when Binance was still very young. It began as an ERC-20 standard token built on the Ethereum blockchain.
Currently, it is a native token of the Binance ecosystem, where it plays an essential role by powering operations. It’s used to pay trading, listing and exchange fees as well as other expenses that users incur on the platform.
Binance Perks
- Low Fees
This is why Binance is the most popular crypto exchange platform in the world. Binance trades are as good as free. The platform charges a maker/taker fee. The trading volume and Binance Coin balance will determine the fees.
Despite this, fees are still charged by the platform for certain services, including withdrawals and payment types.
- Large Crypto Selection
The number of cryptocurrencies on the market will determine how good a crypto exchange platform is. Binance is the largest crypto exchange platform. This means that it has a lot of digital currencies.
There are even decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens available, as well as stablecoins, altcoins, and other popular cryptos.
Some of the currencies available include:
- Binance Coins (BNB)
- VeChain, (VET)
- VeThor (VTHO)
- Harmon (ONE)
- Matic Network (MATIC)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Cosmos (ATOM)
- Cardano (ADA)
There are many other options.
- Earn Multiple Ways
For those wanting to get more mileage out of their investments, Binance allows you to earn more from your crypto assets. Customers can earn income by adding liquidity to token pairs. You can also try on some staking options available on the platform.
That said, most of these opportunities carry great risk, so it is up to users to discern and weigh these risks. Trading and dealing in crypto is risky enough.
- Advanced trading tools
Lastly, Binance would not be called a crypto exchange platform if it were without trading tools.
Binance offers advanced trading tools that make it easy to tailor trading options. It is easier to place limit orders to buy or sell crypto at a certain price.
Charting tools can also be extremely useful for veterans traders when making trade decisions. There are even features that allow users to sell leveraged tokens and make trade easier.
Binance Trading Experience
Binance’s overall trading experience is excellent. It provides various trading tools that allow for smoother and faster transactions. You can even use real-time charts with moving averages, which makes it easy and accessible.
When trading, you do not need to be stuck to your computer. You can use Binance in any way you like. It’s possible to do this through the Binance App or the Binance website.
The platform will keep track of traders’ portfolios for them, so they won’t need to use any additional tools or platforms. Even those who want to keep track of their trades will only need to access their trade history, which is also available on the exchange platform.
Even how they view their trading can be customized. This allows for easier comprehension of data. In fact, users can choose how they prefer these data to be presented, which makes it easier to pinpoint the more important ones.
Binance Trading Fees
Binance fees are based on customers’ trading history, and the trading volume over the last 30 days. The amount of BNB that the user has will also be important.
The fees you pay will depend on whether you are a taker or a maker. Makers (those that add liquidity to the market) tend to be favored and get lower fees than takers (those that remove liquidity orders from the market).
Binance uses its native currency to facilitate transactions. Whenever you use BNB for your trades, you get a 25% discount on the trading fee. Binance also offers 0% trading on selected Bitcoin and Binance USD (BUSD) pairs.
The chart below can be used as a quick reference for Binance’s fees.
VIP | 30-Day Trade Volume (BUSD) | Maker/Taker |
0 | Less than 1,000,000 | 0.10%/0.10% |
1 | 1,000,000 to 4,999,999 and at least 25 BNB | 0.09%/0.10% |
2 | 5,000,000 to 19,999,999 and at least 100 BNB | 0.08% / 0.10% |
3 | Between 20,000,000 and 119,999.999, with at least 250 BNB | 0.07% / 0.10% |
4 | 120,000,000 to 199,999,999 and at least 500 BNB | 0.07% / 0.09% |
5 | 200,000,000 to 499,999,999 and at least 1,000 BNB | 0.06% / 0.08% |
6 | 500,000,000 to 999,999,999 and at least 1,750 BNB | 0.05% / 0.07% |
7 | Between 1,000,000,000 and 2,499,999.999999 and at most 3,000 BNB | 0.04% / 0.06% |
8 | Between 2,500,000,000 and 4,999,999.999999999 with at least 4,500 BNB | 0.03% / 0.05% |
9 | More than 5,000,000,000 and at least 5,500 BNB | 0.02% / 0.04% |
Binance Issues
Binance is a crypto-currency company that has many problems and controversy, despite being the most prominent.
The year 2019 was a terrible year for the exchange platform.
Binance was the victim of a large-scale security breach on May 7, 2019. It was discovered that hackers stole 7,000 Bitcoins worth $40 million. However, customers were reimbursed by the site’s “Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU).
It wasn’t as bad as 2021. In fact, saying that Binance had a rough year in 2021 is an understatement.
On allegations of tax crimes and money laundering, the United States Department of Justice investigated the company.
It was also forced to cancel its planned launch in Britain of a digital asset marketplace. This was due to their application not meeting the anti-money laundering requirements set by their government.
The next year, it was once again put in hot water as it was reported that Binance was said to have shared client data with the Russian government. In an effort to combat crime, these data contained names and addresses.
Then in October of the same year, it suffered another hack on its network. The company had to temporarily suspend transactions and fund transfers after detecting an exploit between two blockchains. The issue had been contained as soon as it popped up.
However, about $100m in funds remained unrecovered from a total of $570m that was stolen.
Binance Pros & Cons
Pros
- Low fees
- Simple Access to Passive Income Opportunities
- Large Selection of Cryptocurrencies
- Sophisticated trading tools
- There are many ways to deposit money
- Flexible Order Types and Trading Options
Cons
- Non-beginner friendly. For beginners, many features can be difficult to access and use.
- Regulation issues with many countries, including major ones such as the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom.
- Not available in the United States because of regulatory issues. The US-specific service Binance U.S., which is a limited version of the service, is not available in all states.
- No built-in digital wallet available
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Coinbase Versus Binance
There are two cryptocurrency platforms that can be used, and they have different approaches. Coinbase and Binance are the best examples.
One is a United States-based exchange that is designed for beginners with a simple interface and limited transaction types, while the other has a steep learning curve and is more suited to veteran users.
The crux of the difference between Coinbase and Binance is who their main audience is and how they cater to these people.
Coinbase Overview
Coinbase, also known as Coinbase Global, Inc, a publicly traded American company that acts as a cryptocurrency exchange platform. The platform is a distributed business, so all employees work remotely.
The company doesn’t have a physical headquarters. It used to have a company headquarters in San Francisco, but this palace was abandoned, and the company changed operation to remote-first.
Coinbase was founded in June 2012 by Brian Armstrong, a former Airbnb engineer. He started coinbase by enrolling in the Y Combinator startup incubator program, where he received a $150,000 cash infusion.
Later on, co-founder Fred Ehrsam joined him after noticing Armstrong’s post on Reddit. This was back in the days when bitcoin was only $6 and was only known to “a few nerds online” (Ehrsam’s words not mine).
They believed bitcoin was an insane idea that would revolutionize finance and money. Both men shared the belief that bitcoin would be huge. As such, they wanted to bring crypto to the mainstream and make it easy to use. This was the impetus behind Coinbase.
While Coinbase now sits among the pantheon as the biggest crypto exchange in the United States and one of the biggest worldwide, its beginnings were not glamorous. Coinbase was actually founded in a shared two-bedroom apartment. Binance Hong Kong
Cryptos Under Coinbase
Coinbase does not have its original coin or cryptocurrency. The platform supports over 100 cryptocurrencies. As the need arises, they add new cryptocurrencies regularly.
As such, here is a glimpse of the different cryptocurrencies coinbase has to offer:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Cardano (ADA)
- Solana (SOL)
- Polkadot (DOT)
- USD Coin (USDC)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Uniswap
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Shiba Inu (SHIB)
- Algorand (ALGO)
- Stellar Lumens (XLM)
- Polygon (MATIC)
- DAI (DAI)
- SushiSwap: SushiSwap (SUSHI)
Coinbase Perks
- Extensive Selection of Cryptocurrency
There is a reason why coinbase is the biggest cryptocurrency exchange in the United States. This is because of the vast and varied cryptocurrencies available in the market.
From a Bitcoin (BTC) focused exchange. Coinbase has grown to offer over 150 types of cryptocurrency on the platform. You can even trade Bitcoin (BTC), and other major currencies, for smaller or newer digital tokens.
In fact, few cryptocurrency exchanges could compete with Coinbase in terms of selection in the U.S. Market.
- Simple and advanced trading
Coinbase offers two trading tools to make it easier for users to access their accounts. Users can choose between a simple trade option or an advanced trading option.
Simple trading options are easy to use for beginners. The only downside of this option is that it takes higher fees, which might be counterintuitive to crypto investing’s philosophy of keeping fees to a minimum.
Meanwhile, advanced trading offers more features, such as charts, a live order book, and even the ability to limit orders. This option is cheaper, but it comes with a tradeoff: it’s more difficult to use, more complicated, and more intimidating for new users.
To avoid high fees, it is highly recommended to trade in advanced trading.
- Get Free Crypto
Coinbase offers a cool feature to help customers earn more cryptocurrency. Coinbase Earn allows users to earn crypto for learning more.
It is encouraged that users read more about cryptocurrency through educational modules. Once they have completed one module, coinsbase will allow them to earn more.
While the feature does not give much, it still doesn’t hurt. Even a few crypto bits can be a blessing in this economy. Also, anyone who declines to pay for money is a fool. Even if the amount is not.
- Educational Content
As lightly touched above, coinbase has a library that is a well of educational resource. These resources range form the basics of crypto, tips, and tutorials to more complex stuff and even market updates. It is for this reason that Coinbase is the ideal platform for those just starting to invest in crypto.
- Mobile App
Coinbase has made it easier for users to access their accounts via a mobile app. Their mobile app, which is similar to the web platform, allows users to manage, buy, and sell cryptocurrency.
This Coinbase App is not just something that is not some garbage or bloatware. It is legit and has high ratings on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
- Crypto Reward
Your Coinbase account can allow you to earn interest on many cryptocurrencies. This is because Coinbase pays interest on specific stables, like USD Coin (USDC), automatically.
This allows you stake certain cryptocurrencies such as Solana (SOL), and Ethereum (ETH).
Staking is how many cryptocurrencies verify their transactions and allows participants to earn rewards on their holdings. You commit your crypto assets to support a blockchain network and confirm transactions when staking in cryptocurrencies. Binance Hong Kong
You will receive certain rewards for staking cryptos. Of course, not all cryptos are eligible for this. It varies depending on your region as well as the cryptocurrency.
- Coinbase Debit card
Aside from trading, Coinbase allows users to access and spend their hard-earned wealth using the Coinbase card.
A Coinbase account allows you to apply for a Coinbase Card, which is a prepaid Visa debit credit card that can be linked to your Coinbase balance. Through it, you can spend your cryptocurrency to pay for some services (especially those services and establishments that welcome Bitcoin and other crypto payments).
You can also use the Coinbase card to earn crypto rewards. This rewards program allows you to choose the crypto that you want from a rotating list.
Coinbase Trading Experience
If Binance provides low fees and more advanced training tools, Coinbase is geared towards a more different type of user. Coinbase’s target market is those just beginning their crypto journey.
The platform offers tools that allow investors new to crypto trading a fast, easy, and secure way to trade. This is in line with their original goal to “make Bitcoin easier to use.”
They are determined to realize this vision and allow users to earn cryptocurrency by watching tutorial videos that are geared towards beginners.
This doesn’t mean veteran traders only have beginner tools to play with. Coinbase Pro is the perfect platform for you. This platform is designed for experienced traders. Binance Hong Kong
Coinbase Pro is different in that it was made for professional traders and gives them more tools, allowing for better customization of their trades. Examples include the ability to choose among several order types, such as stop or limit order and margin order.
Users can also access real-time charting tools, trade history, order book, and price charts. This can help them create more informed decisions when moving their positions and doing their trades.
Although it states pro on the can, that doesn’t necessarily mean users will need to pay a fee for Coinbase Pro. There is no such fee. Anyone with a Coinbase account can already access and use the pro version.
Coinbase Trading Fees
Coinbase doesn’t disclose their fees and pricing. They even removed their full fee schedule from their online help section. That said, this doesn’t mean you will pay your fees blindly. You will still be able to see the cost of entering a trade so that you are aware of what you will have to pay.
To be honest, this is where coinbase falls off from the competition. Its fee structure can be too complex and a little hard for the mind to wrap around. It is said that the fee structure depends on three confusing factors:
- Coinbase charges a spread for cryptocurrency purchases and sales. The spread is significant because rates can fluctuate depending on market conditions.
- Coinbase claims that fees are based on a variety of factors, including the chosen payment method, market conditions (volatility or liquidity) and the order size.
- Coinbase charges fees for transactions executed on external blockchain networks that support cryptocurrencies. Binance Hong Kong
Coinbase Pro’s pricing structure is simpler. It is based on the customer’s monthly trading volume and liquidity of the asset at the time of purchase. Coinbase Pro users must have a bank account to make withdrawals and deposits.
The chart below gives an idea of the fees you can expect on the main coinbase platform:
Trade Size | Coinbase Fee |
$10 or less | $0.99 |
From $10 to $25 | $1.49 |
$25 to $50 | $1.99 |
$50 to $200 | $2.99 |
Trades above $200 have a percentage-based fee rather than a flat fee.
The chart below gives an overview of Coinbase Pro’s fees.
Pricing Tier | Taker Fee | Maker Fee |
Get up to $10K | 0.60% | 0.40% |
$10K – $50K | 0.40% | 0.25% |
$50K – $100K | 0.25% | 0.15% |
$100K – $1M | 0.20% | 0.10% |
$1M – $15M | 0.18% | 0.08% |
$15M – $75M | 0.16% | 0.06% |
$75M – $250M | 0.12% | 0.03% |
$250M – $400M | 0.08% | 0.00% |
$400M+ | 0.05% | 0.00% |
Coinbase Issues
Given how much of cryptocurrency is still in a legal area, there is a distinct chance that those involved in it will have their fair share of issues or controversies.
Coinbase acknowledged that customers were being charged more for cryptocurrencies they purchased with debit and credit cards than they originally intended. These problems started earlier in the month when banks and card issuers charged crypto purchase merchant category codes (MCC).
This was due to the fact that cryptocurrency payments were classified as “cash advances”, and banks and credit card issuers may begin charging cash advance fees for these purchases.
According to a Financial Times article Visa, the credit card company, initially blamed Coinbase. Later, however, Visa retracted those statements and stated on the Coinbase blog that Coinbase was not responsible for the issue.
Coinbase received more customer complaints than ever in 2018, with an increase of over 100%. These complaints were mostly referred to as “money not available when promised.” Coinbase solved the problem by increasing customer service staff to decrease wait times.
Coinbase was also involved in the first-ever case of insider trading regarding cryptocurrency. A former product manager of the company as he shared information about certain tokens listed by the company. Prosecutors were provided with all the information necessary for an internal investigation by the company.
Pros and cons of Coinbase
Pros
- Easy to use and very friendly for those just starting in cryptocurrency
- It supports a wide range of cryptocurrencies
- Offers the opportunity to earn cryptocurrency and learn about them.
- You can trade simple or advanced depending on your preference
- Offers coinbase debit card, which allows for easy withdrawing of funds Binance Hong Kong
Cons
- Complex and convoluted fee structure that is also not transparent
- High fees on some transactions
- There are limited staking opportunities and interest possibilities.
- A lot of altcoins are missing from their selection
- Customer service issues
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Binance or Kraken?
Binance and Kraken, both giants in the cryptocurrency industry, have millions of users. There might seem like a huge gap between the two platforms should we compare their rank (Binance being first and Kraken at fourth), but there is more to it than that.
For example, US-based Binance users are severely hampered by the fact that they can only access Binance’s U.S. platform (Binance.US.) Kraken, however, is readily available in the country.
There are a lot of similarities between these two platforms, with both offering advanced trading options, low fees, and even mobile apps. Both platforms are targeted at experienced or veteran cryptocurrency traders.
Customers will ultimately decide which platform they prefer by choosing the most important features. Binance will be the one to choose with their lower fees, large selection of coins and extra way of managing funds. Or will it be Kraken and its high regard for security standards, which won them a bank charter approval in Wyoming in 2021. Binance Hong Kong
Kraken Overview
Kraken is a fully functional crypto exchange characterized by its low fees and a good selection of tokens, coins, and cryptocurrencies. One of the most defining characteristics of this platform is that it is one of the only U.S. crypto exchanges to provide advanced trading tools like margin.
Kraken’s primary goal is to be the most secure and reliable crypto trading platform. In fact, users and traders have praised Kraken for being one of the only crypto exchanges that “has been probably the only exchange that hasn’t been involved in some kind of shady activity against its users…that doesn’t indulge in questionable corporate policies,”
In connection on the November 2022 FTX Controversy, Kraken founder and former CEO Jesse Powell tweeted: “…Happy to live simply, take a fee for matching trades. A balance sheet is mostly Bitcoin, some ETH.
Kraken was co-founded in 2011 by the aforementioned Jesse Powell, who was an alumnus of California State University, Sacramento, with Thanh Luu. It was launched in September 2013 and offered bitcoin, Litecoin and euro trades. Further currencies and margin trading would follow.
Powell began working on Kraken as a possible replacement for Mt.Gox, another bitcoin exchange based in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Before its 2014 collapse due to failed security audits, Powell was a consultant to the exchange.
Kraken also joined with other US Bitcoin players in the formation of the “Committee for the Establishment of the Digital Asset Transfer Authority”, the industry’s selfregulating group. Binance Hong Kong
The year 2014 was very big for Kraken. The company received a Series A investment of $ 5,000,000 from Hummingbird Ventures in March 2014.
Later, it became one of the first bitcoin exchanges to be listed on Bloomberg Terminal. Then it has chosen to assist with investigating the lost bitcoins of Mt. Gox, Powell’s former employer. Because of its track record of being secure, Kraken is trusted.
In September 2020, Kraken became the first cryptocurrency exchange to hold a special purpose depository institution (SPDI) charter in the United States after Wyoming granted such a charter to the company.
Chief Executive Officer Powell resigned as CEO of the platform on September 21st, 2022. He said that he had spent more time on the product, the user experience and industry advocacy.
Dave Ripley replaced him as CEO.
Cryptos under Kraken
Kraken supports at most 110 cryptocurrencies. Some of the more popular and well-known currencies include:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Cardano (ADA)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Polkadot (DOT)
- Polygon (MATIC)
- Ripple (XRP)
- Stellar Lumens (XLM)
- Solana (SOL)
- Sushi (SUSHI)
- Uniswap
Aside from that, Kraken also supports some stablecoins which include Tether, USD Coin, as well as Dai. Kraken also has a limited currency exchange that is available in select territories. This includes converting US dollars into Canadian dollars, Japanese yen, and Swiss francs. Binance Hong Kong
Kraken Perks
- Beefy Security
Kraken has been an integral part of the cryptocurrency market since its inception in 2011 and its launch in 2013. Its eyes were focused on security from its first day, and it never kept its eyes off it after all these years. In fact, it is the only cryptocurrency exchange that has not had any major hacking accounts.
As such, this United States-based exchange is the consistent leader in terms of security in the industry. As such, some in the industry have affiliated Kraken with physical security and financial stability. This is a claim Kraken is too proud to make.
- Healthy Range of Available Cryptocurrencies
Kraken has over 160 coins and seven fiat currencies available to trade on its platform. While it’s not the biggest amount, it is still a healthy number and is comparable to some of the best crypto exchanges. Binance Hong Kong
Kraken’s liquidity is high, which allows Kraken to make it easier for users to buy and sell at fair prices.
Kraken works using currency pairs, a one-to-one equivalency between two currencies. It is the price quote of the exchange rate of two different currencies traded in FX markets.
Kraken would use dollars to buy Bitcoin, and vice versa. If you are using dollars to buy Bitcoin and then Bitcoin to buy Ethereum, you will always be swapping one currency for another.
Kraken’s currencies cannot be exchanged for each other.
- Trading features
Kraken is one of the few exchanges offering margin, stop orders, and crypto short sales. Kraken also offers a dark pool, where high volume investors can trade anonymously.
Kraken allows you to leverage a currency pair by up to 5x. Some eligible pro clients can access up to $500,000 in the margin. This does not remove the risk that margin trading inherently brings.
- Fees are reasonable.
While it is not the lowest in the market, the prices of Kraken’s fees are pretty competitive and on par with several exchanges. It is even cheaper than other exchanges.
There are no set trading fees, which will differ from exchange to exchange. One sure factor, though, is that your fees will depend on your monthly trade history. While we will talk about fees in depth in another segment, it is important to know that fees are higher when using the instant buy feature rather than the pro platform.
- Strong Staking Options
Kraken offers a variety of stake options. Users have the opportunity to stake over 15 different cryptos. They can earn between 0.25% and upwards of 20%.
Staking is the act that involves tying up your coins to contribute to the overall security of a particular blockchain and can be a great way for investors to earn a passive income.
Kraken Trading Experience
Kraken users can choose between Kraken and Kraken Pro. Kraken Pro is the cheaper of these two exchanges. Anyone can access both platforms with a Kraken Account.
Kraken is a trading platform that’s geared towards intermediate-to-experienced users. However, beginners can still use the platform if they want. It is suggested that they start with the central Kraken platform to learn the ropes. Binance Hong Kong
Kraken allows verified accounts with linked bank accounts to purchase cryptocurrency quickly. From there, selling or converting your crypto into your account is just a simple process. The website has a simple form that allows you to place orders. It usually takes a few seconds.
Their system makes it easy to buy cryptocurrencies using your bank account balance. Your account doesn’t need to be funded first.
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security feature that you can use to protect your Kraken account. To log in to your account, you’ll need to have your device.
Kraken Pro, on the other hand is Kraken’s most advanced trading platform. It appears more complicated than the regular Kraken exchange. Kraken Pro is intimidating for new traders. It is well worth the effort. Binance Hong Kong
It includes more detail about assets, active charts and the ability to view open orders.
Kraken allows you to pay lower fees, as we have already stated. If you feel confident, you can trade the same trade with Kraken Pro. You will pay less but earn more in the end.
Kraken Fees
Kraken’s fees fall in the middle of the market, as we have already stated. It’s not the lowest in the market, and it is also not the highest. Other factors may affect the price of the fees you are about to pay.
Prices and fees may vary depending on the platform. Kraken Pro will always be cheaper than regular Kraken.
Fees for instant purchases are 1.5% for most cryptos and 0.9% for stablecoins that use the U.S. Dollar or another stablecoin.
There are also additional fees that depend on how you fund your purchases. For funding with a bank account, these fees range from 0.5% to 1.5%. For a digital wallet, you can get a 25-Euro cents debit card, credit card or card at 3.75% plus 25 Eurocents. Binance Hong Kong
Kraken Pro’s pricing however is quite different. Generally, fees are lower than the main Kraken platform. Your fees will also be based on your total trading volume over the last 30 days. Remember that transactions are subject either to a 0.16 maker fee or 0.26% taker fees.
Below is a chart showing their maker-taker fees for a volume of 30 days in US dollars.
30- Day Volume (USD) | Maker | Taker |
$0 – $50,000 | 0.16% | 0.26% |
$50,001 – $100,000 | 0.14% | 0.24% |
$100,001 – $250,000 | 0.12% | 0.22% |
$250,001 – $500,000 | 0.10% | 0.20% |
$500,001 – $1,000,000 | 0.08% | 0.18% |
$1,000,001 – $2,500,000 | 0.06% | 0.16% |
$2,500,001 – $5,000,000 | 0.04% | 0.14% |
$5,000,001 – $10,000,000 | 0.02% | 0.12% |
$10,000,000+ | 0.00% | 0.10% |
Kraken Issues
There really are not many issues concerning Kraken aside from disagreement with a work culture which is something the company has already worked on and moved on
On the security side, Kraken has lived up to customer expectations and has proven itself with being the only major cryptocurrency exchange that has not been a victim of a major hack.
Kraken does have its share of problems with government regulations.
Kraken refused to cooperate with an investigation by New York Attorney General’s Office in April 2018 on questions about crypto exchanges’ measures to protect customers from market manipulation and money laundering.
Kraken’s main reason is that doing so would be bad for business.
Approximately a year after, the Office of Foreign Assets Control investigated the exchange for potential violation of sanction regimes by allowing trade for customers based in Iran. Kraken was fined $1.25million by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in September 2021 for allowing unregistered margin trades.
Kraken Pros & Cons
Pros
- Advanced and sophisticated features like margin trading and staking.
- Excellent and reliable customer service
- Relatively low Bitcoin withdrawal fees (BTC).
- Provides a wide range of educational material.
- Most secure exchange in the market
- Simple user interface
Cons
- The Base Kraken platform is more expensive than Kraken Pro. Both modes can be accessed as long you have a Kraken account.
- Kraken accepts only a handful of fiat currencies
- A few users complain about their accounts being hacked. Binance Hong Kong
- Not available in all U.S. States
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Binance versus crypto.com
Binance and Crypto.com have become some of the most popular cryptocurrency exchanges. Both offer a wide range of features, such as low fees, staking, and advanced trading. It does not necessarily mean that they are identical.
While one exchange is better than another, that doesn’t mean you should always choose the highest-ranking exchange just for numbers. There are many factors that influence which exchange is ranked higher than another.
The better way to choose your crypto exchange is to examine both options and determine which one appeals to you more. Will you choose the more investor-friendly Binance with its wider selection of cryptocurrencies to invest in, or will you take Crypto.com’s side, which offers a more user-friendly experience and lower fees. Binance Hong Kong
Crypto.com Overview
Crypto.com was established in Hong Kong in 2018 The founders of Crypto.com, Gary Or, Kris Marszalek and Rafael Melo originally called it Monaco. It only became Crypto.com when the company purchased a domain that cryptography researcher and professor Matt Blaze owned.
Domain sellers might sell the domain for a larger sum, with the domain being valued at between US$5 and 10 million.
As for the overall platform, Crypto.com does what most cryptocurrency exchanges does. It lets users trade, invest, stake in a currency, and many other things.
It also has a huge selection of currencies numbering at least 250 different currencies, reasonable fees, and even discounts to some specific customers (like those with huge stakes in the Crypto.com’s very own coin, the cronos (CRO).
Crypto.com’s main selling point and focus is in their exchange. However, that is not what they all do, they also offer a variety of crypto services which include their own crypto wallet, and even an NFT shop. The company has even partnered with Shopify those in the e-commerce platform accept cryptocurrency as a valid payment.
Crypto.com can be described as a cryptocurrency platform that allows traders and investors to do more than just buy and hold. With Crypto.com, cryptocurrency can also be currency.
Cryptos under Crypto.com
Crypto.com offers a wide selection of currencies. It support more than 250 currencies for spot trading with a subset of staking. The platform supports the following currencies:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Cardano (ADA)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Polkadot (DOT)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- USD Coin (USDC)
- Chainlink (LINK)
- Polygon (MATIC)
- Cardano (ADA)
- Uniswap
As mentioned above, Crypto.com also has its coin called Cronos (CRO). Having a significant stake in this coin rewards you with lower trading fees, higher stalking interest rates, and higher credit card rewards. Binance Hong Kong
Crypto.com Perks
- One-Stop Shop
Crypto.com has a lot going for it aside from being just a plain old trading platform. You can trade cryptocurrencies and buy and sell them on the exchange.
Most importantly, Crypto.com allows you to spend your hard-earned crypto through a prepaid Visa card. Crypto.com places a lot of weight on cryptocurrency’s currency component.
- Low Fees
Crypto.com’s low fees can rival that of many sites.
There are many transactions on Crypto.com that don’t require fees. One example is depositing your money into your account via an electronic bank or wire transfer.
Crypto.com also allows you to purchase and sell cryptocurrency at its true cost, giving the real meaning of “what you see is what you get.”
The platform charges a fee for purchases of crypto with a debit or credit card. Payments made with a debit card or credit card might also be subject to a cash advance fee for crypto purchases.
- Convert your Money Easily
While this is not a feature unique to Crypto.com, it bears being listed here. The Crypto.com app allows users to convert their fiat currencies into crypto. Provided that Crypto.com is limited to 20 fiat currencies available on the platform.
These fiat currencies include USD and GBP as well as EUR. However, just because it is available for trade on Crypto.com does not mean that a fiat currency will be available to you for trade. You will be limited in your ability to trade certain fiat currencies due to the country you live in.
- Cashback Cards
One of the greatest perks that you can receive as a Crypto.com member is the availability Visa Cards linked to your Crypto.com account with its crypto currency.
Currently, Crypto.com has five types of prepaid Visa Cards available to its users. These cards must be charged before they can be used fully.
Your CRO stake in the platform will determine which Card you can get.
The lowest available tier for those planning to access this card would be their Ruby Steel card, which also offers a 1% money back from your contribution. Of course, you will need to have at least a $400 stake to be able to avail of this.
Meanwhile, those who own deeper pockets can avail of their top-of-the-line, Obsidian tier. This tier earns you 5% cash back or cryptoback, as well as lots of bonuses. To qualify, you will need to have at least $400,000 in stakes. Binance Hong Kong
Other cards available include Midnight Blue, Jade Green/ Royal Indigo, and the Frosted Rose Gold/ Icy White. All these cards have no annual fee and give you a set number of free ATM withdrawals and foreign transactions each month.
- Earn Interest
As a one-stop shop for everything crypto, Crypto.com isn’t just a place to buy coins and tokens. Those who have a Crypto.com account can also earn high rates of interest. In fact, Crypto.com have some of the best high-yield savings accounts in the market.
To benefit from this perk you will need to have a lot of cash in your CRO. However, the maximum amount of interest you can earn is less than 10%.
The interest rate you can acquire will depend on factors like the duration of time you leave your money, the currency you save, and the amount of CRO you have staked.
The app allows you to increase your interest rate in many ways. One way is to stake more than 4,000 CROs. You can even get more if your stake exceeds 40,000 CROs, but this may seem excessive.
If you make a deposit for a term of one month or more, the interest rate can be increased to 3 months. Between these choices, depositing for one-month terms might be more flexible, but three-month term deposits yield better rates.
Lastly, investing in stablecoin also increases your interest rate. Stablecoins usually peg their values to an external reference. Some can even be tied to the U.S. Dollar. These stablecoins can help you earn more interest.
Stablecoins, being stable, are less likely to appreciate in value than normal cryptocurrencies. That also means they are also less likely to depreciate in value.
In the end, keeping your savings in crypto is still risky. Cryptocurrencies can be volatile and your savings could be cut if they fail.
- Gifts Cards and Phone Top Ups
Crypto.com also offers phone top-ups and gift cards. Buy gift cards from popular brands to earn cash back benefits.
Crypto.com offers gift cards from popular brands covering different industries like hotels, general retail, games, airlines, education, and even entertainment from at least 41 countries. You can also find gift cards from the United Arab Emirates, Norway, Singapore and Spain.
Brands include Macy’s, Barnes & Noble, Airbnb, and many more.
The amount of cashback you get will still depend on how much CRO you have staked and what type of company it is.
Crypto.com Trading Experience
When using Crypto.com, your trades will mostly revolve around its mobile app, which serves as the platform’s central hub. So those who are already used to trading stocks on a phone or tablet will have a breeze of time and will find the experience pretty similar to that. Binance Hong Kong
The app in question shows the user’s portfolio and a list of their more popular assets. It offers everything that Crypto.com claims it can. With it, you can trade currencies, earn through staking in crypto, make payments with cryptocurrency, and even sign up for a Crypto.com credit card.
Where would you pick up a trading application without its chart tools. In the case of Crypto.com’s app, it shares a relatively simple set of data that aims not to intimidate or overwhelm the users. The charts just contain enough information needed for users to learn how the blockchain and the currency work, something they might need before buying.
Crypto.com offers a wide range of fiat currencies. More popular ones include the Australian (AUD) and Canadian (CAD) dollar, the euro (EUR), the British pound sterling (GBP), the ever-popular U.S. Dollar (USD), and even the Brazilian real (BRL). This allows users from multiple countries to buy and enter crypto using their local currency.
Crypto.com Fees
When it comes to trading fees, Crypto.com is pretty competitive in its pricing. In fact, they are among those who offer the lowest trading fees in the market. Trade volume can be higher and qualify for lower fees, as low as 0.4% for makers or 0.1% for takers. This is even with no CRO.
Users who have at least 5,000 CRO in their bank account can get discounted trading fees. Rates go lower with larger stakes.
However, Crypto.com users who are newer than 25 000 USD will be charged 0.4% for trades that have a monthly volume less than $25,000.
Below is a table showing fees for spot and margin trades for customers with no CRO stake amount.
30-Day Spot Trading Volume (USD) | Maker | Taker |
Below 250,000 | 0.0750% | 0.750% |
Greater than or equal to 250,000 | 0.0700% | 0.0720% |
Greater than or equal to 1,000,000 | 0.0650% | 0.0690% |
Greater than or equal to 5,000,000 | 0.0600% | 0.0650% |
Greater than 10,000,000 or equal to 10,000,000 | 0% | 0.0500% |
The table below shows the maker and taker rates of those with less than 100 CRO (3% discount).
30 Day Spot Trading Volume (USD) | Maker | Taker |
Less than 250,000 | 0.0728% | 0.728% |
Greater than or equal to 250,000 | 0.0679% | 0.0698% |
Greater than or equal to 1,000,000 | 0.0631% | 0.0669% |
Greater than or equal to 5,000,000 | 0.0582% | 0.0631% |
Greater than 10,000,000 or equal to 10,000,000 | 0% | 0.0485% |
As stated, discounts are based on the CRO stakes. Stakes over 50,000 CRO are exempt from maker fees. Those who have even more may even enjoy rebates.
Crypto.com Issues
Crypto.com, like most cryptocurrency exchanges has its problems.
On January 2022, Crypto.com was the victim of a serious hack. It was reported that the company lost US$15 million worth of Ether. After users reported suspicious activity to their accounts, the company lost US$15 million worth of Ether. The company immediately halted withdrawals, which were then restored. The company reported that no customer funds were lost alongside the restoration of withdrawals.
Most of the problems with Crypto.com were due to the downturn of cryptocurrency in general. Crypto.com was forced to lay off hundreds of employees that had been working since May. In October 2022 alone, it was reported that the company had to lay off at least 30% to 40% of its staff.
In November of 2022, their exchange token Cronos (CRO) has lost approximately $1 billion in value. This was in part due to the collapse of FTX. Crypto.com CEO Marszalek reassured that the exchange was operating normally.
Crypto.com Cons and Pros
Pros
- Competitively Low fees
- There are many ways to pay with crypto
- Convert money quickly
- Great cash back rewards with Visa card Perk
- Allows you to earn interest on crypto
- Pretty big selection of cryptocurrency coins and tokens Binance Hong Kong
- Strong security
Cons
- User interface and the exchange itself is pretty difficult to navigate
- There are limited availability of coins.
- Some areas are lacking customer service and some of it is very poor.
- THere is a lack of educational resources.
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Binance versus Kucoin
When Comparing KuCoin and Binance side by side, the winner is pretty clear. It is Binance, and that is by a lot. KuCoin was one of the first platforms to trade cryptocurrencies. However, FTX and Kraken have taken over.
KuCoin is still available to its users, but most traders avoid it like the plague. Many negative reviews have been written about the exchange, with a variety of reasons. Some are semantics while others are alarming.
KuCoin Overview
KuCoin is a crypto exchange platform launched in 2017 by tech geeks Micahel Gan, Eric Don, Top Lan, Kent Li, John Lee, Jack Zhum, and Linda Lin. The company was established in 2013.
KuCoin was founded by MichaelGan, who was eager to learn more about blockchain and the potential applications. He discovered Bitcoin from his boss, Eric, and started getting in on the action.
He was shocked to discover that some of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges at that time were difficult to use for beginners. This was in direct proportion to the impact blockchain had on the world, particularly with the way that crypto and Bitcoin changed the global financial system.
By the end of 2013, Michael and Eric wrote down the first code of what would become KuCoin in a cafe. This was the beginning of the platform that would become the “People’s Exchange”.
Cryptos under KuCoin
Since it is an older cryptocurrency exchange platform, it is not surprising that there is a pretty sizable selection of cryptocurrencies you can buy and trade in the exchange.
This extensive range of tokens and coins may appeal to veteran traders who are looking for an assortment of assets. KuCoin’s greatest strength is its ability to mine altcoins for tokens and coins. Binance Hong Kong
It was also one of the main reasons why the company was founded in the first place, to give fewer mainstream currencies their spotlight and allow people to access them.
These less-known coins can be more risky than the stable and well-known ones. People need to be aware of what they are getting into.
KuCoin also has it’s token, simply called KuCoin Token (KCS). The following are some other popular coins that can be found on the exchange platform:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Tether (USDT)
- Binance Coin (BNB)
- XRP (XRP)
- Chainlink (LINK)
- Filecoin (FIL)
- Internet Computer (ICP)
- Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC)
- USD Coin (USDC)
Bear in mind that these are just a few selections of what you can find in the exchange platform
KuCoin Perks
- A wide range of coins
KuCoin offers a wide range of tokens, coins and altcoins that are available for trading on their exchange. It is actually the top echelon for coins that are available on the exchange.
It is also easier to find smaller coins than other platforms on these platforms. KuCoin is the ideal platform for traders looking to diversify into less-popular crypto.
It is a key mission of KuCoin to help smaller and more recent cryptocurrencies succeed. They even have a Spotlight section that promotes new currencies.
This is advantageous for the coin and users who want to get in on a new currency early.
- Low fees
KuCoin has very low trading fees. Though it is not the lowest available in the market, it is still fairly low that it can compete with other exchanges.
KuCoin doesn’t charge any monthly fees. The withdrawal fees are the same as other exchanges and deposits to KuCoin are free. That said, you will still need to pay a fee to deposit fiat money, such as U.S. dollars. Binance Hong Kong
These fees will depend on your transfer mode and the third-party app you use.
- Earn Through Interest on Your Crypto
KuCoin, like most cryptocurrency exchanges lets you make money with your crypto. KuCoin Earn is the name of the KuCoin service.
With KuCoin earn, you are given two ways to earn from your crypto. You can first take your coins through Pool-X which is backed by KuCoin. You can also lend your crypto to get the interest.
Your interest rate for borrowing crypto is higher than the one you would get from a savings account. That said, the coin and its demand still affect how much you earn.
According to the exchange, you can earn up to 8% to 12% on average from this way. KuCoin makes margin trading possible by using this money. Although it might seem risky, the company assures that all lenders will be fully repaid.
This repayment could be made from collateral or KuCoin margin insurance funds.
- Advanced Features
KuCoin offers veteran users a variety of toys and additional features. They allow for margin trading, which allows users to leverage their position, which means borrowing money to buy more crypto.
KuCoin’s mobile app also supports trading bots. This means that you don’t have to buy and sell your cryptocurrency yourself. Instead, you can let a computer handle that task for you. This is pretty convenient as you do not always need to be online to do your business.
That said, using bots can be pretty risky. Bots can be prone to glitches, and being too dependent on them may cost you a lot of opportunities. You don’t always know their strategies and perimeters when you trade with them.
As such, the convenience bots provide may not be worth the uncertainty of how they’re handling your assets.
KuCoin Trading Experience
KuCoin can be accessed online or via an Android and iOS mobile application. Both have an abundance of features and tools which you can use when doing trades on the platform.
YOu can access KuCoin’s front page or dashboard after logging in to your account, be it on desktop or mobile. Users can view markets, trade, buy, lend, or trade cryptos from there.
In the case of order types, the platform supports four. These include market order, limit or stop-limit orders, and stop-market orders.
Users have access to orders as well as margin, futures and P2P trading. You can stake your crypto to earn some back or get a discount on trading fees. Binance Hong Kong
Recently, the exchange has just added a Trading Bot feature to help simplify the whole trading process.
Overall, KuCoin has plenty of advanced features. Veteran traders might find this a great benefit. They can be difficult for novice traders, as they aren’t user-friendly on mobile platforms.
KuCoin Fees
KuCoin breaks down trading fees by levels. The three main factors that determine the trading fees are: The minimum KCS holding within the past 30 days and the spot trading volume within the last 30 day (BTC) are the key factors in determining the trading fees.
Below is a table that shows which trading level corresponds to which.
Trading Fee Level | Min KCS Holding last 30 Days | Spot Trading Volume Last 30 Days (BTC) | Futures Trading Volume Last 30 Days (BTC) |
LV0 | 0 | <50 | <200 |
LV1 | 1000 | >=50 | >=200 |
LV2 | 10000 | >=200 | >=400 |
LV3 | 20000 | >=500 | >=1000 |
LV4 | 30000 | >=1000 | >=2000 |
LV5 | 40000 | >=2000 | >=3000 |
LV6 | 50000 | >=4000 | >=6000 |
LV7 | 60000 | >=8000 | >=12000 |
LV8 | 70000 | >=15000 | >=20000 |
LV9 | 80000 | >=25000 | >=40000 |
LV10 | 90000 | >=40000 | >=80000 |
LV11 | 100000 | >=60000 | >=120000 |
LV12 | 150000 | >=80000 | >=160000 |
These levels will determine how much you’ll have to pay for taker or maker fees. Spot trading fees are charged in accordance with the base currency for the trading pairs. Paying fees with KCS will net users 20% off.
KuCoins also has a 24-hour withdrawal limit.
Trade Fee | Maker/Taker | 24h Withdrawal Limit |
LV0 | 0.1% / 0.1% | 200 |
LV1 | 0.09% / 0.1% | 200 |
LV2 | 0.07% / 0.09% | 200 |
LV3 | 0.05% / 0.08% | 200 |
LV4 | 0.03% / 0.07% | 200 |
LV5 | 0% / 0.07% | 500 |
LV6 | 0% / 0.06% | 500 |
LV7 | 0% / 0.05% | 1000 |
LV8 | -0.005% / 0.045% | 1000 |
LV9 | -0.005% / 0.04% | 2000 |
LV10 | -0.005% / 0.035% | 2000 |
LV11 | -0.005% / 0.03% | 3000 |
LV12 | -0.005% / 0.025% | 3000 |
KuCoin Issues
To be honest, KuCoin does not have the best reputation in the industry. You can see the extent of dissatisfaction by just looking at the reviews.
Trustpilot reviews gave it an average rating of 1.7 stars out 600 reviews. Many of the negative reviews focus on customer service, withdrawals, or even deposits. Binance Hong Kong
KuCoin has also been accused of market manipulation, with some even saying their assets randomly disappeared from their accounts. This is a problem especially when it comes to assets, money and finance.
Then there is an issue of security.
While KuCoin is a generally secure crypto exchange, it was subject to a major hack back in 2020. About $280 million in crypto was stolen from hot wallets and sent to hackers by the exchange. This was a serious security breach, despite the fact that all assets were covered by an insurance plan.
KuCoin Pros and Cons
Pros
- Low fees
- Strong user base
- Wide range of coins
- Earn interest on your crypto
- Trading features
- Good customer service
Cons
- Not licensed in the U.S.
- Payment methods are limited
- New traders can find it intimidating and overwhelming
- Has limited education resources
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Bittrex versus Binance
Bittrex and Binance are two crypto exchanges with more similarities than differences. Both offer similar features that users can enjoy. Despite being similar, the two platforms have major differences.
The key difference between the two platforms is their size. While Binance boasts about the largest amount of trading volumes among the different exchanges, Bittrex aims for a more scaled-down experience.
Bittrex was once one of the top cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. Still, Binance surpassed them after the former implemented stricter Know Your Customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering policies.
Bittrex Overview
Bittrex, a cryptocurrency exchange, aims to provide a high-quality service with trust and focus.
It was founded in 2014 by three cybersecurity engineers from Amazon: Bill Shihara, co-founder and CEO; Richie Lai, co-founder, and chief information officer; and Rami Kawach, co-founder and chief technology officer. Its headquarters are located in Seattle.
The platform initially offered only crypto-tocrypto trading. However, it quickly added fiat-tocrypto trading. Binance Hong Kong
Despite their new fiat trading platform, they offer many cryptocurrencies and stablecoins. Also, they are available in 46 U.S. states, excluding Hawaii, New York, and Vermont
Cryptos under Bittrex
Bittrex has a wide selection of cryptocurrencies and stablecoins available in their exchange. Like most exchanges, this variety makes platforms very enticing to traders.
They include:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Cardano (ADA)
- Chainlink (Link)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Polkadot (DOT)
- Tether (USDT)
- Polygon (MATIC)
Bittrex Perks
- Huge selection of cryptocurrency
As stated above, Bittrex has a rather sizable option of cryptocurrency available in their market. Customers looking for niche, but more risky trades will find it attractive.
- Low fees
Bittrex also offers low fees, which start at 0.35%. Depending on trade volume, this fee can be lower. It is still not the lowest on the market. Some exchanges have lower fees compared to them.
- Fast trading executions
Bittrex offers a unique trading engine that speeds up trades, which is unlike other services. This engine even works well despite high demand. Investors would love this as it allows them to capitalize on the many price movements that happen in a volatile market such as cryptocurrency.
- Cardano staking
Cardano (ADA), cryptocurrency holders would be thrilled to have this platform. Bittrex lets users stake their Cardano cryptocurrency throughout the exchange. You can get up to 5.5% in reward. Binance Hong Kong
- Educational Content
We all know how arcane-ish finances in general are. So by association, cryptocurrency is just as mind-boggling and arcane. Any way you can educate yourself about the topic is a blessing.
In Bittrex’s case, it offers an impressive library of educational resources in its Discover section. Here, users will find articles and references for various crypto topics. You will find references and lessons on topics that range from crypto taxes to crypto mining.
They even have a breakdown of some of the cryptocurrencies available on the platform to give you an idea of what you are betting on and whether one is a good investment.
While it does not fully remove the risk in cryptocurrency, at least it helps users make more informed decisions. Binance Hong Kong
- Referral Program
Bittrex operates a referral program where when someone you know signs up for an exchange account and uses your referral link, you will earn 10% on all trading commissions they pay.
While this may not look like much. Referring a serious crypto whale can net you substantial rewards. Although unreliable, it is a good and less risky way to passively earn crypto income.
Bittrex Trading Experience
Trading on Bittrex is a no-frills, straightforward experience. Logging in is all that’s required to access the trading dashboard. It can be accessed via a desktop or mobile app.
In the desktop interface, users have a simple “instant buy Buy/Sell” option. This allows users to quickly trade or buy crypto using a debit card, bank account or Bittrex account balance.
A real-time view of all the market data available on the platform is also available to users. Users also have the option to place more complex orders. You can also choose from stop, stop limit, trailing stop and laddered orders.
Bittrex Fees
Bittrex has a simple fee structure that makes it easier to understand their fees than other exchanges. That said, you still get fee discounts for trades with higher volumes. Overall, these fees are pretty low but are not the lowest available in the market.
30-Day Volume (USD) | Maker | Taker |
Less than $25,000 | 0.35% | 0.35% |
$25,000 – $50,000 | 0.25% | 0.30% |
$50,000 – $100,000 | 0.15% | 0.25% |
100,000 – 1 Million | 0.10% | 0.20% |
$1 million – $5 million | 0.06% | 0.16% |
$5 million – $10 million | 0.05% | 0.15% |
$10 million – $60 million | 0.02% | 0.10% |
$60 million – $100 million | 0.00% | 0.08% |
$100 million + | 0.00% | 0.05% |
Bittrex Issues
Bittrex has received negative reviews from users. Most of these issues stem from account lockouts, frozen assets, and problems with identity verification. These problems are widespread across all crypto exchanges.
At the very least, the platform has not seen any major controversies or setbacks.
Bittrex Pros & Cons
Pros
- Highly secure
- Extensive selection of available cryptocurrency
- Very low fees
- Advanced trading tools
- Pretty helpful educational content
Cons
- Mediocre and mostly unhelpful customer support
- For beginners, it can be difficult
Binance versus eToro Binance Hong Kong
Binance and eToro are two of the most well-known cryptocurrency platforms. They are both pretty famous and lead the market in what they do.
But there is one thing that separates them. They are two very different platforms. Binance is a cryptocurrency exchange. eToro, however, is not. It is, in fact, a cryptocurrency broker.
Binance sells a wide range of digital assets ranging from the usual cryptocurrency to NFTs and other services. A cryptocurrency broker also sells crypto along with other investment products such as stocks and fractional shares.
eToro Overview
eToro was not founded as a cryptocurrency platform, unlike most companies in this review. The Tel Aviv-based company was actually an online forex broker originally under RetailFX. This was back in 2007.
When RetailFX started offering commodities, indices, and stocks, it changed its name to eToro. It later launched the innovative social trading feature, which allowed users to copy trades from successful traders on the platform.
eToro only got involved in the crypto market when it added support for BTC in 2014. This enabled users to buy and sell CFDs (to non-U.S. users). On the world’s leading digital currency. Four years later, it also added support for Ripple (XRP) and Ethereum (ETH). Binance Hong Kong
Also, in 2018, eToro went full steam on the crypto industry. More coins and currencies were added to the platform. The company also launched eToroX, a digital asset platform and its crypto wallet.
Cryptos under eToro
eToro’s digital asset platform has a limited selection of cryptocurrency options. They were not originally set up as an exchange, but rather as a brokerage. That said, some popular currencies found in the service include:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH).
- Cardano (ADA)
- Dash (DASH)
- Dogecoin (DOGE).
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Polkadot (DOT)
- Polygon (MATIC).
- Solana (SOL)
- Stellar Lumens (XLM)
eToro Perks
- CopyTrader
The CopyTrader is eToro’s signature feature. This feature existed long before the platform began to explore the crypto industry. Binance Hong Kong
This basically allows eToro users to copy trades done by their favorite traders with just one click. The trade can be initiated by setting the money that the user wants to spend.
From there, the platform will set those funds and try to mirror the positions of their favorite eToro trader proportionally.
It is completely free, which is quite surprising. This feature requires a fee, but it can be used as often as the user wishes.
- Invest more than crypto.
Since the platform started in foreign exchange, it was to be expected that new users could still get in on that action.
eToro is one of the few places on the internet that allows you to own cryptocurrency and stocks in one account. The platform also offers stock trading at zero commissions and the possibility to purchase fractional shares.
eToro provides a virtual brokerage account which allows you to simulate stock investing without putting any real money at risk.
- Fee Debit card deposits
Unlike other cryptocurrency exchanges that charge fees, eToro doesn’t charge users to make a debit card payment. Investors can deposit fiat money using a bank transfer or debit card for no additional fees.
That said, there is a conversion fee for non-U.S. dollar transactions, so users should remember that.
eToro Trading Experience
eToro is available as a simple web-based platform and a well-designed mobile app.
It is easy to get started on the platform by depositing fiat currency using a bank account or debit card. Once they have done that, they can trade instantly.
A trading tab provides an intuitive view of the current prices, buys, sales, and converts crypto.
The top perk CopyTrading makes doing trades pretty simple and easy. It even allows users to do trades proportional to high-performing traders in the platform.
The platform provides basic market and limit orders. However, it lacks some of the more advanced conditional orders and more advanced charting capabilities.
Also, the lack of cryptocurrency choices limits the cryptocurrency fairs the platform can offer.
It’s also eToroX – the digital asset platform that is the most prominent.
eToroX now offers U.S. Dollar deposits, margin trading and trading APIs. It also allows for fast execution.
eToro Fees
eToro offers a refreshing view on fees. Unlike most cryptocurrency exchanges, which don’t show their fee, eToro lists the fees it charges when trading crypto.
eToro users pay a flat fee of 1% for each crypto trade. The platform refers to this 1% market fee as a bid-ask spread. It is also included in the platform’s price when users open or closes their position.
However, many users don’t like the fact that eToro charges a fee for each round trip. This is unlike other exchanges that only charge a fee when a purchase or sale of a crypto asset is done.
With eToro, you pay 1% for the eventual sale of the coin in advance, plus a $1 fee on the purchase.
This could be a problem when users transfer their coins to an external wallet. As they can no longer return them to the trading platform.
eToro Issues
Due to its age, it is not surprising that the platform has had its fair share of controversies. Most of these do NOT involve the cryptocurrency market.
One that does, though, happened during the 2021 closure of leveraged position. The following was notified to European clients of the platform in the early part of that year:
“Due to extreme market volatility in the crypto markets, margin positions for all leveraged crypto positions” should be changed to non-leveraged, or they would be closed within four hours.
This was a bad move and many users and lawyers expressed their intent to file a lawsuit as a group. It even provoked actions of having the eToro license in Cyprus revoked.
eToro was also in a feud with Redditors of /r/wallstreetbets after the GameStop short squeeze.
eToro Pros and Con
Pros
- An established platform
- Regulated in numerous jurisdictions
- CopyTrading, a unique feature only available on the platform, is an exclusive feature.
- There’s more to it than just crypto trading.
- Transparency in the fee
Cons
- Stock, ETF, and cryptocurrency trading only available in 44 U.S. states
- Margin trading is not available for U.S. users
- There is a limited selection of cryptocurrencies.
- 1% fee is pretty high compared to others.